Meryl Streep to receive Cannes honorary Palme d'Or

Meryl Streep will be honoured with a special Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival's opening ceremony on May 14, organizers announced Thursday.

The Hollywood icon, who won the best actress prize at Cannes in 1989, will join the kick-off of the 77th edition at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.

"I am immeasurably honoured to receive the news of this prestigious award. To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking. To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honoured is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May!" Streep said in a statement.

She'll return to the renowned French festival, after a successful Hollywood career spanning five decades.

"We all have something in us of Meryl Streep! We all have something in us of Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Out of Africa, The Bridges of Madison County, The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia! Because she has spanned almost 50 years of cinema and embodied countless masterpieces, Meryl Streep is part of our collective imagination, our shared love of cinema." Cannes festival heads Iris Knobloch and Thierry Fremaux said in a joint statement.

Streep's participation in the Cannes opening will mark the beginning of a festival ending on May 25, with awards presented by a jury led by president Greta Gerwig.

Previous recipients of the Cannes honorary Palme d'Or include Jeanne Moreau, Marco Bellocchio, Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Jane Fonda, Agnes Varda, Forest Whitaker, and Jodie Foster.